For many data visualization projects, information comes from a source that has already done some aggregation. This is both a blessing and a curse. Aggregation definitely simplifies the analysis and visualization process, but it can also greatly reduce the visualization and analysis options. This is because aggregation often destroys connections in data. For this reason, it's critical to have an in-depth and thorough knowledge and understanding of the information from aggregated information. There are several different visualization techniques that open up once we have the original data, such as Euler diagrams and parallel sets.

The extra information that can be obtained from visualizations is important to gaining a full understanding of the data, and it can lead to a much more interesting story, as well as far better visualizations and more accurate connections and links within those visualizations.

So, when gathering data about something, remember to dig deeper into it, as there are many important connections that happen within data that can provide knowledge beyond just a simple average or total.

To learn more about the value of these connections, sourcing accurate data, and how it is transformed into useful graphics, read the complete article and check out the case study used to convey the main points outlined above...

new book from the Urban Institute illuminates the potential and practice of using data to enhance communities -- especially low-income ones. It's a practical resource for local funders and others seeking creative ways to inform and engage communities.

With all of the advances in website reporting, many of us are still behind the curve when it comes to attributing the return on social media efforts. Sometimes it’s very difficult toconnect the dots and see where social media is making an impact for your brand.

By leveraging Google’s nifty URL builder tool, marketers can track in detail the performance of content posted to social media.

Although this approach is fairly basic, it gives you a clearer view of the value of your social media efforts.

Hashtags allow marketers to engage with users they otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach, build branded campaigns, and sleekly measure the results. You can use hashtags in a variety of ways. We’ve broken down the five key ways here, but for more insight into hashtags on Twitter, download our newest ebook The Complete Guide to…

Nevertheless, it’s clear Twitter is focused on serving as a powerful platform for individual influence and promotion. Twitter’s recent acquisition of Niche illustrates its recognition that social influencers will continue to serve the platform’s value as a marketing tool.

In that way, influencers and Twitter have a mutually beneficial relationship—one individuals can use to their advantage. While Niche figures to cater to fairly prominent players online, Twitter is investing in the power of individual influencers—as well as larger, established brands—to create advertising revenue and build sustainable marketing value.

“We hope this acquisition continues to inspire people to create great content,” said Baljeet Singh, Twitter’s director of product management, in a statement.

Influencer marketing continues to deepen its roots in social media, and brands can piggyback off their employees’ success by encouraging them to establish themselves as influencers in their fields. A new analytics tool, for example, will make it easier for those individuals to manage and optimize their own efforts, implementing small changes that yield tangible results.

Want to get more engagement on Twitter? Did you know Twitter has a tool to help you analyze your tweets? Knowing which tweets have generated strong engagement in the past helps you craft better tweets. In this article I'll explain how to analyze your tweets' performance to improve your Twitter marketing. #1: Gather Twitter Activity You…

Developing a social media strategy is important. But beyond just implementing a plan, you’ll want to evaluate your social channel’s success in order to improve moving forward. Google Analytics is a valuable tool that can help you to analyze and enhance your social media strategy.

A commitment to impact evaluation is the mark of a nonprofit organization that takes its work seriously.

Beth Kanter's insight:

When nonprofits do attempt to measure performance, they tend to become preoccupied with metrics that demonstrate how busy their staff members are (the number of activities conducted, the number of people reached, and so on), and they give short shrift to more relevant metrics that indicate whether their programs are actually improving people’s lives.

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.